Roundtable discussion on Border Security and Management during COVID-19 Pandemic at OSCE Border Management Staff College

In the framework of the 29th Staff Course for Women Leaders, the OSCE’s Border Management Staff College (BMSC) organized a roundtable discussion on 9 July 2021 in-person and online about border security and management and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The discussion brought together representatives of government agencies, civil society, diplomatic missions, international organizations, experts in the field, and students of the 29th Staff Course for Women Leaders, from Belarus, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Spain, Thailand, Tunisia, Tajikistan and Ukraine.

“This is a good opportunity to exchange views and experiences on how to address challenges related to border security management at the times of a health crisis,” said Valeriu Chiveri, Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe during his opening speech.

The roundtable event provided a platform to examine the negative consequences of travel restrictions associated with the pandemic. Key discussion topics included human rights violations, the uncertainty of border regimes, curtailed mobility and emerging cross-border threats.  

Ilgar Ibrahimli, Acting Director of the BMSC, said: “Indeed, the pandemic has amplified and accelerated existing challenges faced by border security agencies. It has also created a “new reality”, which the whole world needs to adjust to”.

Keynote speaker, Pier Rossi-Longhi, Senior Regional Immigration and Border Management Specialist at the International Organization for Migration (IOM), noted the importance of keeping the right balance between security and the sustained adherence to the human rights of the most vulnerable people while introducing new procedures at the border crossing checkpoints.

Other contributors to the discussions included Denise Mazzolani, Deputy Head of the OSCE Strategic Police Matters Unit, Tatiana Kotlyarenko, Adviser on Anti-Trafficking Issues, at the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, Anne Althaus International Migration Law Specialists at IOM, Gianna Sanchez, Anne Althaus International Migration Law Specialists at IOM, Inesa Nicolaescu, Associate Border Security Officer at the OSCE Transnational Threats Department and Cameron Walter, Associate Programme Officer at the OSCE Transnational Threats Department.

The conducted roundtable was the second in a series of three roundtable discussions, covering various aspects of international cooperation in the context of border security and management. The subsequent one will focus on Countering Cyber/ICT security threats to Border Security and Management.